Disease
by Cattitude
Summary: Kaoru is a young prostitute. And Kenshin . . . well let's just say he makes a killing in his business. Oneshot.


Title: Disease

Rating: R

Author: Silent Tears of Agony

I did not write the lyrics for the song _Disease, _which can be found on the CD "More Than You Think You Are**Matchbox 20 **did, or maybe somebody wrote it for them. I don't know.

I do not claim to own RK.

Warning: This is darker than anything I have ever written before. But it may not be as dark as I intended it to be. So maybe there's no need for a warning. I don't know. -.-

Thanks to **Night Imp **& **Pinay Tiger **for being my betas.

-

Kenshin assessed his appearance in the mirror and readjusted his black wig. Quickly checking the bandage that covered his scar, he put on his cap and smiled at his reflection. Tonight he was going on the hunt and he would find his prey. Amber eyes glittered in anticipation.

"Hey handsome. My, aren't you young." Kenshin bit his tongue to keep his disgust at the woman from showing. He was well aware that he looked younger than he was. It was something he often used to his advantage.

The woman traced the shell of his ear with one finger. "How'd you like me to teach you a few things?" Kenshin made a great show of fidgeting nervously and even worked up a blush.

"T-teach me? W-what do y-you mean?" The woman pressed up against him and laid a hand on his chest.

"I think you know what it means, handsome." Kenshin bit his lip.

"I'm waiting for the bus," he still spoke in that soft, nervous voice.

The woman laughed too loudly. "We can be finished before the bus gets here."

-.-.-.-.-.-

Saito stood over the nude body of a dead prostitute and flicked the ashes from the tip of his cigarette. The woman's face was swollen from it's beating, crusted blood clinging to the "x" on her left cheek, and her neck showed signs of strangulation. But her body showed no marks below her neck. And Saito was willing to bet she had been raped with a foreign object - such as a pipe - as if her attacker was too good to sully himself by actually touching her in that way.

The officer had seen this work before. It was another one of Battousai's victims. Saito smiled sadistically; and just when work was getting boring too.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kenshin sat down on the bench and waited for the bus. He stiffened ever so slightly when a scantily clad woman sat next to him. He didn't like drawing attention from hookers while he wasn't in disguise, he was worried that someone just might connect him with the murders.

"Hey handsome." Kenshin briefly nodded in response and looked off in the opposite direction. He hoped she would take the hint and go away. But in his experience they hardly ever gave up that easily. After all, it was what he based his hunts on.

"Chantell, leave that poor boy alone!" Kenshin and Chantell looked toward the direction of the voice to see another prostitute who was heading toward them with a scowl on her face.

"Coming over to steal my business Sapphire?" Chantell sneered. Sapphire narrowed her eyes.

"Believe me, I could care less about your 'business.' But I won't stand by and watch you corrupt innocent young boys." Kenshin turned his head to hide a smirk. He had never been accused of being innocent before, even by accident. He wondered how shocked the woman would be if she found out his little secret. Would she run like all the others?

After Chantell left, Sapphire turned to Kenshin and smiled. Yeah, she was just like all the other greedy pigs, Kenshin thought bitterly. She sat next him and stuck a wad of cash in his hand. Kenshin blinked in genuine surprise. "What's this for?"

"Call a taxi. A nice boy like you shouldn't be sitting around in a neighborhood like this." Kenshin narrowed his eyes.

"And what do you want in return?" Sapphire cocked her head to the side.

"Ah, so you know how the world works. Perhaps you are not so innocent after all, hm?" Sapphire got up and waved a dismissive hand as she walked away. "Just consider it my good deed for the day."

Kenshin stared after her as she walked away, her exaggerated movements jutting her hips from side to side. Kenshin was intrigued and for the first time ever he hoped to meet another human being again.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Enishi quickly counted the money in his hand and looked over his glasses at Sapphire. "You didn't do very good today." He sounded as if he could have been commenting on the weather. But someone who knew him as well as Sapphire did, could detect the accusing tone underneath. Sapphire shrugged carelessly.

"Not every day can be good."

"I find it hard to believe that one of my most popular prostitutes barely made the minimum cut." He narrowed his eyes coldly. "But I'm sure we wouldn't be in this situation if you didn't hand money out to total strangers." Sapphire raised her chin defiantly.

"Like I said, you got your cut. What I do with my money doesn't concern you." Sapphire was on the floor before she even knew what happened. She touched her fingers to her eye and felt blood form where one of Enishi's heavy rings cut her. Enishi pointed a finger at her.

"I will NOT tolerate such disrespect toward me! I'm raising my cut and if you continue this behavior there's plenty more where this came from!" With that said he stalked away, leaving Kaoru to scowl at his back.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sapphire winced as another woman applied some antiseptic to the wound near her eye. "You know Sapphire. Enishi isn't all bad."

Sapphire sighed, "I've told you before Tomoe, I don't like being called by my street name when I'm not working." She kicked the table in front of her. "I don't like any of this." She narrowed her good eye at Tomoe. "And a man who pimps his own sister isn't worth defending."

Tomoe squeezed Sapphire's shoulder. "Sa - Kaoru, please calm down. He might hear you."

"I really don't care anymore."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kenshin had tried to resist, really he had. But the allure of seeing the blue-eyed prostitute again was too strong. Thus was the reason he found himself standing at the very same bus stop where he met her yesterday.

An hour later, Kenshin still hadn't seen any sign of her. Even though all he had wanted to do was talk to her, Kenshin felt disgusted with himself.

He decided to choose his next victim to purge this feeling.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kaoru rolled over and curled into a tight ball. She loathed this job with a passion, but what she hated most of all was when Enishi violated her. And he expected her to accept it like it was some gift or something.

Kaoru squeezed her eyes closed and thought about the young man she had seen the other day. He probably didn't know it, but he had made her feel good about herself again. A part of her hoped she saw him again, but she doubted she would and it was better that way. He would probably meet a normal woman and have a normal family while she would have to content herself with this one reminder that she could be a decent person.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Saito flicked the butt of his cigarette into an ashtray and continued reading the report in front of him. Another woman had been found bearing all the signatures of Battousai - except that she had been beaten below her face as well. Saito smirked, either this was a copycat murder or Battousai was starting to lose control.

Saito preferred to believe it was the latter.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kenshin looked down at his hands. He had broken three fingers the night before last. He hadn't intended to beat the woman so severely. He really hadn't, but he couldn't help himself.

And more disturbingly, he was still thinking about the blue-eyed prostitute.

"Hey, I thought I told you not to hang around here. Do you work nearby or something?" Kenshin turned to the prostitute, Sapphire or whatever she called herself, smiling at him.

Kenshin nodded his head, "yes. I work at the grocery store."

"Ah. After school job?" Kenshin smiled charmingly and shook his head.

"I don't go to school anymore."

"You are a drop out?" Ah, so she was still under the impression that he was merely an innocent boy. Kenshin thought it would behoove him to let her continue to dwell in her ignorance.

"Yes, I dropped out of high school," he told her truthfully. "I found it too boring." Kaoru nodded.

"I dropped out too. Family trouble." She smiled brightly, "I guess we have something in common then, hm?" Kenshin wondered at her enthusiasm.

"I guess so." Just then, the bus pulled up and Kenshin stood to leave.

"Wait!" Kenshin turned at Kaoru's outburst. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"I don't work tomorrow." He felt a foreign stirring in his chest when he saw her disappointment and relented to tell her he would be working the day after. Kaoru's eyes lit up.

"Okay."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sano handed Kenshin a beer and settled comfortably back on the couch to watch t.v. Sano's face screwed up in displeasure when he noticed his friend was watching a news brief about another prostitute's death. "Man, I don't want to watch this. I hear about it enough at work." Kenshin laughed.

"But I don't Sano." Sano sighed.

"I'm just glad Megumi got out of that business." Megumi's past as a prostitute was a sore spot with Kenshin. He avoided her at all costs and wouldn't even have attended her and Sano's wedding if he didn't think he wouldn't raise any suspicion, Sano appearing to be his best friend and all. Still, Kenshin had feigned illness to leave immediately after the ceremony.

"You know what? I don't feel like watching this anymore. I'm going to go home."

"I was hoping you could stay for dinner. Megumi makes a killer casserole."

"I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check." Sano tilted his head and stared at his friend.

"You always find some excuse to leave whenever Meg's around. Do you have a problem with her past life?" Ken's eyes widened.

"_What_?"

"'Cause you know," Sano continued, "she's left that life behind her. She's really a good person." Kenshin waved his hands in a placating gesture.

"Now Sano, you're just imagining things. I really have to leave. I'll stay some other time." Sano looked skeptical.

"Yeah, whatever."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"You're positive you won't get into trouble for this?" Kaoru stirred her drink with the straw and raised her eyes to look at Kenshin.

"Are you sure I'm the one you're worried about?" Kenshin looked at her sharply.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaoru shrugged.

"You tell me. You're the one that insisted we take separate buses to meet at the edge of the city, where I'm sure nobody knows you. And you've been edgy since we arrived here. Are you sure it's my welfare you're worried about? Or is it your reputation?" Kaoru could see a muscle clenching and unclenching in Kenshin's jaw when he turned his head away.

"I'm sorry," Kaoru apologized sincerely. "I should be grateful you're even being friendly toward me in a platonic way. I _am _grateful." Kenshin relaxed a little.

"I guess I kinda am worried about people seeing me. But I really am concerned for you. Every time I see you, you're wearing a new bruise." Kaoru shrugged.

"They're the least of my worries. Besides I've gotten used to them." Kenshin's eyes narrowed in a calculating manner, but before he could say anything Kaoru jumped up and grabbed his arm.

"Come on, let's go somewhere else. I want to have _fun _today."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Thank you for amusing me." Kaoru turned to look at Kenshin. "It's been a long time since I've just walked and admired the scenery around me, especially in the nice part of town."

"So how did you find yourself in this fair city?"

"I know it sounds very cliche, but I ran away from home."

"You're right," Kenshin agreed, "that is very cliche. Let me guess - you were escaping an abusive family. Most likely one where your father was an unemployed, depressed drunk and your mother just didn't know what to do?" Kaoru laughed sweetly.

"Not quite. I had a nice, normal family in a nice, normal town. While I _may _have been normal, I certainly wasn't nice. I was a wild child. I left for the city to find excitement." She smiled bitterly. "I guess I found a little too much excitement. Now I'm too ashamed to go back."

"So you're a runaway highschool dropout, huh?" Kenshin looked up to the sky as if contemplating something. "Me too."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kenshin stared forward blankly as he sat in the dark of his apartment. For the first time since his first kill, he felt horrifyingly numb. And yet, he also felt such an excitement of tingles race up his spine every time he replayed her screams in his mind. Kenshin forced himself to take deep, even breaths then stood up to get a glass of water. He hadn't even meant to target her, the wife of his friend. The opportunity had presented itself and he had taken it, hoping it would help his pent-up frustration over Kaoru.

But the relief had only been temporary - as he knew it would. Already the urge to see her was overwhelming, like and itch that needed to be scratched and drove you mad until you satisfied it.

Perhaps it was time he just ended his obsession once and for all.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"It seems Battousai was kind enough to leave us some DNA this time." Saito smiled mockingly at the man in front of him. "Care to take a look at the results?" Sano scowled.

"My _wife _was just murdered. Shouldn't you be telling me not to get involved because of conflict of interest?" Saito stubbed out his cigarette and walked away.

"I'll take that as a no." Sano remained where he was, flexing and unflexing his fingers. Finally Sano turned to follow his commanding officer.

"Why do you have to be so infuriating?" Saito smirked.

"Ah-ah, that's not showing respect to your superiors." Sano growled in response. Saito stopped in front of a computer monitor and waved a hand at the screen. "Look familiar?" Sano stared in disbelief at the picture on the computer screen.

"No way," he shook his head. "There's no way Kenshin could be responsible. Sure, he's a little weird. But he's not a killer!" Saito's responding smile was grim.

"Not according to his records. He was questioned concerning his mother's death, but that's not abnormal. Not long after that, he was charged with harassing the local prostitutes. Of course that wasn't on the top of the police's priority list and nothing ever came of the charges. Eventually he was charged - and found guilty - of assaulting a prostitute. After serving his sentence, he left San Francisco and doesn't appear in any police records for two years until he considered a suspect in a prostitute's murder. He's been brought in several times since then in regard to similar cases."

Saito's fingers tightened around his cigarette, the only sign of his emotions. "I should have _known _something was up when he kept offering his assistance in the cases."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Excuse me, can you tell me where Sapphire is?" The woman Kenshin was talking to looked at him with a fearful expression and he knew that his eyes were amber. But he didn't care. It would all be over soon anyway. "_Well_?" he snapped in irritation.

The woman jerked. "Sh-she's working tonight, over by the bus stop." Kenshin nodded his thanks and left.

When Kenshin found her standing under a street light, he thought she looked like some sort of tainted angel. Glowingly beautiful, yet sad.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru called in surprise when she saw him. "What are you doing here?" She peered a little closer. "Your eyes look funny. Are you wearing contacts or something?" Kenshin continued to stare at her as if he was in a trance.

"Do they frighten you?" Kaoru gave him a weird look, trying to figure out his odd behavior.

"Um . . . no." Kenshin smiled strangely.

"I had hoped not," Kenshin said more to himself than to her.

"Is there something you need Kenshin?"

"I need you to come with me."

"I'm sorry Kenshin. I'm working tonight." Kenshin reached a hand out to touch her then thought better of it and slowly drew his hand back. "I want to help you Kaoru." Kaoru bit her lip.

"Enishi will get mad at me if I leave my post without charging you. And I'd feel bad to charge you for nothing. Unless . . . " Kaoru regarded the man in front of her with uncertain eyes. Kenshin had never made any advances toward her, but she wasn't sure what he could want from her while she was working. Kenshin shook his head and continued to smile eerily.

"Don't worry, everything will work out. You'll see."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kaoru looked around Kenshin's spartan apartment. "It's very . . . clean and uncluttered in here." Kaoru didn't want to tell him the place gave her the heebie jeebies and that if she had to stay too long the gleaming white walls and plastic-covered furniture would drive her stark raving mad. Not to mention how overpowering the smell of bleach was.

"Have a seat." Kenshin gestured toward his couch. Kaoru perched tensely on the edge of the couch, ready to bolt in case anything unusual happened. Like say, a dead body suddenly tumbling out of the closet. Kaoru shook her head to get the image of the mind. 'Don't think that Kaoru. Kenshin seems nice enough. Even if he is acting really weird tonight and his apartment is cleaner than a hospital, that doesn't mean he's a murderer!' Kaoru jerked and a small cry emitted from her mouth as a glass was shoved in front of her face. Kaoru looked up to see Kenshin standing in front of her.

"Did I scare you?" The look on his face suggested he seemed rather pleased at the possibility. Kaoru gave a noncommital noise and accepted the glass he was holding out for her.

"This is wine." Kaoru looked down at the glass after she had drunk out of it.

"Yes, I was hoping it would relax you." Kaoru panicked, visions of being drugged and raped racing through her head. She set her drink down on the coffee table.

"Thanks, but I don't really care for any." She sat silently for a few minutes while Kenshin continued to stare at her unnervingly. "So, what was it you needed me for?"

"I needed you near me." Kaoru nodded, the motion causing her to become nauseous.

"Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" Maybe there would be a window in there and she could escape. Kenshin looked at her as if he was considering whether that was a good idea, then finally nodded.

"It's down the hall on the right." Kaoru found, much to her dismay, that there was no window in the bathroom. After flushing the toilet in the hopes that Kenshin hadn't picked up on her deception, she exited the room. Glancing quickly down the hall to see if Kenshin could see her, she hesitantly opened the door across from her. Maybe _it _had a window she could escape from.

When Kaoru stepped into the room, she wished she had taken her chances in the other room with Kenshin. "I see you found my treasures." Kenshin's breath was hot on her neck. Kaoru tried to move to the side so she could escape him, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him into the room. "It started with my mother. She let me know I was a mistake, a burden to her way of life. No matter how hard I tried, I could never make her proud of me." He paused to observe all of the newspaper clippings and other paraphernalia regarding the Battousai murders that were pasted all over his walls.

"Whenever she got drunk, she would tell me how unhappy she was. I thought if I could make her happy, she would be proud of me. That's what good sons do, don't they?" Before Kaoru could decide whether or not he wanted her to answer his question, Kenshin continued on. "So one day, I decided to free her." Kenshin smiled.

"She didn't fight at all. She was finally proud of me. I could tell." His eyes glazed over in excitement as he squeezed Kaoru's wrist tighter. "I realized I needed to help other women in similar situations. But they always fought back. They didn't appreciate my gift!" Kenshin squeezed Kaoru's wrist so tightly, she feared it would break.

"Kenshin," Kaoru whimpered in pain. "You're hurting me." Kenshin turned to her with a crazed look.

"Pain is power. My mother taught me that when I was very young. Kaoru," he reached his hands out to rest his hands on her face, just above her neck. "I hit those women because they fought me. They didn't appreciate what I was trying to do for them. I don't want to have to do the same thing to you." Kaoru's heart stopped and her whole body tingled when she realized the full extent of Kenshin's intentions.

"No!" She jerked away from Kenshin's grasp and stumbled back toward the door. She didn't realize how badly the room was spinning until she started fumbling with the door handle. She slumped against the door. "Why won't the room stop moving?" Kenshin turned her around and smoothed his hands down her cheeks.

"I put some sedatives in your wine to help calm you down. I don't want to hurt you Kaoru."

"No," she spat. "You only want to kill me." Kenshin looked hurt.

"No Kaoru," he shook his head. "I'm trying to help you. Enishi won't ever hurt you again. And you don't have to be ashamed anymore." A tear slipped from the corner of Kaoru's eye.

"But what if I don't want this?"

"Don't worry, Kaoru." His hands moved down to squeeze her throat. "You'll be much happier. I promise." Kaoru opened her mouth to scream, but Kenshin's grip was too tight for any sound to come out. Kaoru scratched at the back of his hands as she tried to breathe in sharp, wheezing gasps.

Once she stopped struggling, Kenshin picked her up and set her on a bed that was occupying a corner of the room. "It was just like with mother." He gently stroked her hair.

"Only this time I'll be joining you." And with that statement, he drank from the same glass of wine he had given Kaoru.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Himura Kenshin, this is the police. We have a warrant for your arrest." Saito continued to pound on the door incessantly. "Open up!"

"Maybe he really isn't your suspect." Sano suggested.

"And maybe he's plotting his next victim." Sano narrowed his eyes.

"If you're so hot to believe that Kenshin is really the perpertrature of the Battousai murders, why did you let me come along?"

Saito stomped out his cigarette on the floor - despite the reproachful look of his fellow officers - and smirked. "I thought it might be fun to watch the fireworks when you found out I'm correct." Sano swore.

"You really are what I've always called you. You know that?" Saito chuckled without humor.

"Lieutenant, not only do I know that, I delight in it." He nodded to the door. "Now break it down, obviously no one is going to answer."

'I'm sorry Kenshin.' Sano quietly apologized to his friend before kicking in his door.

Saito took a look around the beyond sterile apartment. "I'd say a 'little weird' is the least of this man's problem's." He nodded to his men. "Search the entire place. He could have missed something that will leave a clue." As the other officers dispersed throughout the room, Saito wandered down the hall and opened the first door he came to. A shadow passed over his face when he saw what was inside.

"We're too late." Sano peered over Saito's shoulder and gasped.

"No way." He strode over to where Kenshin was laying next to Kaoru on the bed. "No way, Kenshin! Tell me Saito's wrong! Tell me you aren't responsible for these women's deaths! For my _wife's _death!" Kenshin opened hazy eyes.

"Sano, Megumi's death. . . it was an accident." Sano pulled Kenshin up by his shirt collar and shook him viciously.

"I thought you were my friend! I made you the best man at my wedding and all you can say is my wife's death was an ACCIDENT!" He screamed right in Kenshin's face. Kenshin's head lolled backward and Sano dropped him, realizing he was no longer conscious.

Saito simply stood pacifly smoking another cigarette. "Captain Saito!" Saito turned to look at Souji Okita - a senior officer - to see what he wanted.

"Yes?"

"Captain, I found a. . . diary - if you will - containing names, dates, and locations of women we didn't even know were missing." Saito nodded his praise at the other man for his find.

"Maybe it will explain why he was such a lunatic," Sano exclaimed maliciously.

"I did it," Kenshin spoke up one final time to rectify himself. "To free those women. I wanted them to be happy." He turned to gaze fondly at Kaoru through cracked eyelids. "And now we both are."

-

Yay! I'm finished! I would like to thank my cousin for nagging - I mean! - _encouraging _me to finish this. (:

Because there is so much debate concerning whether songfics are allowed here or not, I decided to take out the lyrics.


End file.
